Adjustable bass bench

ABSTRACT

A unique seat bench adapted to be selectively positioned on the gunnels of a boat especially a flat bottom aluminum boat or row boat has a supporting frame preferably of rectangular configuration, arched seat mounts which are preferably casting which provide a flat portion for mounting a seat and adjustable extending gunnel clamps which comprise a slidable member within the supporting frame which holds a jaw member and jaw closing member for attaching the seat bench to the gunnels of a boat.

ite States atent 1 v i' I 1 1 3,795,927 Darwin, Jr. et al. Man 12, 1974 [5 ADJUSTABLE BASS BENCH 2,659,561 11/1953 Kindorf 24/243 cc 46,12 [76] Inventors: William N. Darwin, Jr., 1014 3 3 5 0/1967 08/47 UX Linkwood Ave.'; Dewayne Weldon,

Assistant Examiner-Donald W. Underwood 7 Tex. 75901 APPL No: 279,188 A unique seat bench adapted to be selectively positioned on the gunnels of a boat especially a flat bot- 52 us. (:1. 9/7, 24/243 cc, 297/250 aluminum boat of row has a SulhPortihg 51 Int. Cl. B63b29/00 frame Preferably rectangular cohfiguramm arched 58 Field of Search 9/7; 297/243, 250, 252; Seat mounts which are Preferably Casting which 10 /47; 24/263 A, 2 3 s 243 CC vide a flat portion for mounting a seat and adjustable extending gunnel clamps which comprise a slidable 5 References Cited member within the supporting frame which holds 21 UNITED STATES PATENTS jaw member and jaw closing member for attaching the seat. bench to the gunnels of a boat. 3.718365 2/1973 Gibson 9/7 2.843348 7/1958 Samuels 9/7 10 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures ADJUSTABLE BASS BENCH BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is directed to a seat bench or support adapted to be selectively positioned on the gunnels of a boat. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a boat seat having a unique seat bench or support which may be selectively positioned within the boat as it is adjustably attached to the gunnels.

2. Prior Art As a-result of a patentability search, the following US. patents were cited:

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to a boat seat bench or support of unique structure which is adapted to be selectively positioned on the gunnel of the boat. The seat support of the present invention can support a high backed swivel seat or any other type seat in most boats such as in a flat bottom, semi-vhull or other small boats. The seat support or bench is attached to the gunnels in any desired positioned along the length of the boat making the rig particularly suited for fishing or for comfort while running a small boat with a motor attached either to the back, front or side of the boat. The seat support is adapted to be selectively positioned on the gunnels of the boat and comprises a supporting frame preferably of rectangular configuration with arched seat mounts which extend upward from the supporting frame and provide a flat portion for mounting the seat. It is preferred that the arched seat mounts be two casting members which are identical and screwed to the supporting frame with each of the castings having a flat portion on top which provide a mounting for a seat. There may be four adjustable extending gunnel clamps, all of which are essentially identical which comprise slide members such as pipe which slides within the square tubing preferably used in making the supporting frame and having attached to the end of the slide members a jaw member adapted to be positioned around the gunnel of the boat and also holding a jaw closing member. In the preferred design, the slide member is a pipe which has threads at the end thereof and which holds the jaw member by means of a nut. A jaw closing member is held by the jaw member and is adjusted by the threads at the end of the slide member to hold the adjustable extending gunnel clamps to the gunnels of the boat.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a seat support according to the present invention mounted on the gunnels of a small boat;

FIG. 2 is a front view of a seat support of the present invention with a swivel seat set forth in outline;

FIG. 3 is a top view of a seat support of the present invention; and

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a flat bottom boat 1 or a row boat or other small boat which may have permanent seats 2, 3, and 4therein and gunnels 5 and 6, has a seat support 7 of the present invention attached to the gunnels 5 and 6. The seat support or bench 7 supports a seat 8, as shown in FIG. 2 in outline, which may be a swivel seat having a plate 9 which can be screwed directly to the seat support 7 as will be described more specifically hereinafter. The seat 8 may be of any kind of construction, however, the plastic molded seats which are mounted on a swivel arepreferred. The seat 8 usually is high backed having no arms; however, the particular seat design is not of significance to the present invention.

The seat support 7 is comprised of a supporting frame 10 which preferably is of generally rectangular configuration. The supporting frame is composed of elements 11 and 12 which are generally the longer elements with shorter elements 13 and 14 therebetween. A preferred construction of the supporting frame 10 is one wherein square tubing is used for elements 11 and 12. Elements l3 and 14 which are each weldedto the elements 11 and 12 may be angle iron or suitable tubing to complete the rectangular supporting frame 10. As will be seen in more detail hereinafter it is preferred that the elements 11 and 12 be hollow and made of a tubing either square or round.

Extending upward from the supporting frame 10 are arched seat mounts 15 having a flat portion 16 to which the seat 8 is mounted by plate 9 which preferably is a swivel. The arched seat mounts 15 in the preferred embodiment are two identical castings 17 with footings 18 both on one side of the casting. Screws 19 connect the casting 17 through the footing 18 to the cross members 13 and 14, respectively, of the supporting frame 10. Drilled openings 20 are provided for nuts and bolts or screws for connecting the seat 8 by means of the plate 9 to the casting 17. The size of the flat portion 16 and the distance between the two castings 17 are such that they are of the same approximate dimensions as the plate 9 used to attached the seat to the casting 17.

An adjustable extending gunnel clamps 21 comprises a slidable member 22, a jaw member 23 and a jaw closing member 24. The slidable member 22 may be a circular pipe such as a one half inch galvanized water pipe which will fit within a one inch square tubing 11 in a slidable manner. At the end of the slidable member 22 may be a stud 25 having threads which may be welded to the slidable member or press fit within the slidable member 22. The stud portion 25 extends through an opening in the jaw member 23 and holds the jaw member 23 by means of a nut 26. The jaw member 23 is preferably a casting with any particular casting designed to fit a particular gunnel shape such as the gunnel 6 of a flat bottom boat 1. The jaw closing member 24 of the preferred embodiment is designed so as to be held by and slide on the jaw member 23. By rotating the slidable member 22 and thus, forcing the stud 25 against the jaw closing member 24 as it rotates in the nut 26, the extending adjustable gunnel clamp 21 is fixed in position on the gunnel of the boat. The slidable member 22 may be rotated by pins 27 which are mounted through holes in the slidable member 22. The slidable member 22 also makes the entire seat support adaptable to boats having various widths so that it may be used in boats having a width of from 32 to 5 2 inches in one embodiment and another which can vary for boatsigyvidths between 42 and og inches The seat support 7 may be positioned in the boat in between the fixed seats 2, 3, and 4 as well as over the seats or in any position desired. As can be seen, seat support 7 can be maintained in assembled form or easily disassembled for packing or carrying. Further the seat support 7 of the present invention may hold a very expensive or inexpensive seat, one which swivels or one of any desired design.

The nature and object of the present invention having been completely described and illustrated and the best mode thereof contemplated set forth, what we wish to claim as new and useful and secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A seat support adapted to be selectively positioned on the gunnels of a boat which comprises:

a supporting frame which comprises two hollow elements connected by two shorter elements in a rectangular configuration,

a pair of arched seat mounts, each mounted on one of said hollow elements and extending upwardly therefrom to provide a flat portion for mounting a seat, and

adjustable extending gunnel clamps which are slidably held by said supporting frame.

2. A seat support according to claim 1 wherein said arched seat mounts are castings.

3. A seat support according to claim 1 wherein said supporting frame has elements of square tubing.

4. A seat support according to claim 1 wherein said adjustable extending gunnel clamps comprise a slidable member held by said supporting frame,

a jaw member attached to the end of said slidable member adapted to be positioned around the gunnel of a boat, and

a jaw closing member held by said jaw member.

5. A seat support according to claim 4 wherein said supporting frame has elements made of square tubing and there are four adjustable extending gunnel clamps with each said slidable member being pipe which slides in said elements.

6. A seat support according to claim 5 wherein said slidable member has threads at the end thereof and said jaw member is attached to said slidable member by a nut.

7. A seat support according to claim 5 wherein said arched seat mounts are two castings attached to the supporting frame.

8. A boat seat which comprises a seat support according to claim 1, and

a seat mounted on said arched seat mounts.

9. A boat seat according to claim 8 wherein said seat is a swivel seat having a plate which is mounted to the arched seat mounts.

10. A boat seat which comprises a seat support according to claim 7, and

a swivel seat having a plate which is mounted to each of the flat portions of said arched seat mounts. 

1. A seat support adapted to be selectively positioned on the gunnels of a boat which comprises: a supporting frame which comprises two hollow elements connected by two shorter elements in a rectangular configuration, a pair of arched seat mounts, each mounted on one of said hollow elements and extending upwardly therefrom to provide a flat portion for mounting a seat, and adjustable extending gunnel clamps which are slidably held by said supporting frame.
 2. A seat support according to claim 1 wherein said arched seat mounts are castings.
 3. A seat support according to claim 1 wherein said supporting frame has elements of square tubing.
 4. A seat support according to claim 1 wherein said adjustable extending gunnel clamps comprise a slidable member held by said supporting frame, a jaw member attached to the end of said slidable member adapted to be positioned around the gunnel of a boat, and a jaw closing member held by said jaw member.
 5. A seat support according to claim 4 wherein said supporting frame has elements made of square tubing and there are four adjustable extending gunnel clamps with each said slidable member being pipe which slides in said elements.
 6. A seat support according to claim 5 wherein said slidable member has threads at the end thereof and said jaw member is attached to said slidable member by a nut.
 7. A seat support according to claim 5 wherein said arched seat mounts are two castings attached to the supporting frame.
 8. A boat seat which comprises a seat support according to claim 1, and a seat mounted on said arched seat mounts.
 9. A boat seat according to claim 8 wherein said seat is a swivel seat having a plate which is mounted to the arched seat mounts.
 10. A boat seat which comprises a seat support according to claim 7, and a swivel seat having a plate which is mounted to each of the flat portions of said arched seat mounts. 